I hate to bug you guys but have been looking on forums and internet for three days now. I have my brother and my train cleaned and running on a temperary track but the head light on them are gone. I need to know the size, I have learned so much in the last few weeks since I joined. My train is the Marx 999 with a clear linse on the light hole, the other is an Lionel 1110 with the steam hole going through the loco. The Marx takes a screw in and the Lionel takes a push and twist. Still trying to decide on layout, not much room, was leaning towards 4’ X 8’ sheet of plywood but what I’ve read most don’t like that as well. Thanks so much for all the help.
With the bulbs for the Lionel’s is that the standard across the board? I have 2 No 042 switches and the bulbs in those look bigger then the bulbs in the cars on my loco.
There are some special cases–2400 streamliners, early 153 color-light signals, some transformer lamps, for example–but a small 14-volt lamp like the 52 or 53 is a pretty good choice for conventional operation. For a turnout or locomotive operated in an 18-volt TMCC environment, a higher-voltage lamp would be better.
The bulb size is typically larger on higher-powered lamps. The number 57, for example is a G-4.5 bulb (9/16-inch globe) that draws 240 milliamperes, compared to the number 53, which is a G-3.5 (7/16-inch globe) that draws 120 milliamperes. Both are rated for 14 volts. Which you might use depends mainly on how much light you want, how much room you have, and how much heat your turnout or locomotive can stand.
If you are concerned with getting the actual lamp that the locomotive was shipped with, here is a list from Lionel:
For the most part just looking for the equivlent so i don’t put too hot a bulb or high a voltage in. Now that you mention it not that i was thinking about it but the block signal i have has the painted red and green bulbs always wanted to find bulbs that weren’t painted for it. Also have my prewar signal gate that needs the red one. thanks for the info.
The modern number (industry standard) for the 27-3 (screw base) is 1447; the 2026-58 (bayonet base) is 1445; these are small globe 18v lamps. I’d be very careful about using lower-voltage lamps in your 042 switches, depending on the normal track voltage you run your trains at – they might melt the lanterns.
Like i said they are bigger bulbs then whats in the #681 and cars that i have. Yeah that’s my fear of coming close to melting the lanterns i know one way to remedy that is make the hole in the top of the lantern bigger to let more heat out. Really don’t want to do that though since the switches lasted about 60 years without any problems why make mods now. Right now one works and i have one bulb out so worse case is i take one for comparison. Thinking about buying some different switches since right now i have a outer passing loop setup so one switch is on each end and these manual 042 switches are a pain to run unless you slow the train to a crawl or stop it so you have time to go flip the switches. Going to be reconfiguring the layout this coming year and depending on the cost and availabity of newer switches, location on the track, and also how many i’ll need might phase these 042’s out all together.
The number 53 runs cooler than the 1445 at any voltage. Lamp ratings are a tradeoff among voltage, current, efficacy, and lifetime. The ratings of the two lamps are
#53 14.4 V 120 mA 1728 mW 1 mscp 1000 hr #53 18 V 136 mA2442 mW2.18 mscp69 hr #1445 14.4 V 135 mA 1944 mW .7 mscp 2000 hr #1445 18 V 150 mA 2700 mW 1.53 mscp137 hr
The numbers in italics are values that I calculated using the rules that for incandescent lamps current varies as the .55 power of voltage, light output as the 3.5 power, and lifetime as the -12 power. The 1445 is actually rated at 14.4 volts and 18 volts; but that doesn’t give it any particular advantage over the 53 in terms of power dissipated at either voltage, as you can see.